


The Discovery

by QueenKatelynTheAristocrat



Series: How To Avoid Bullies: A Series [2]
Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Bullying, Family Drama, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:10:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19082896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenKatelynTheAristocrat/pseuds/QueenKatelynTheAristocrat
Summary: While searching the Slytherin Dorms for any clues as to the whereabouts of their missing sons, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter come across a list titled "How To Avoid Bullies." A list that Harry has never seen before, but Draco happens to know all about...





	The Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place between Act 3 Scene 15 and Act 3 Scene 16

Harry Potter had been through many terrifying things in his life, but never had he been more scared than he was in that moment: his son was missing --  _ again -- _ and he was almost certain it was entirely his fault. 

The situation was surreal: Ginny was searching the grounds with Professor McGonagall, all of them hoping for the best but expecting the worst, and here Harry was, in the Slytherin dormitories with Draco Malfoy, both of them worried sick over their sons’ disappearance, side by side, practically turning the room over in search of any clues as to Albus and Scorpius’s latest scheme. 

Harry felt more than a little guilty going through Albus’s trunk and dresser; given how very private and reserved his son was, it felt like an invasion. If Albus had been there, Harry was sure he’d be unceremoniously kicking his father out of his room, but if Albus had been there, Harry wouldn’t have been in the Slytherin dorms in the first place. 

There’s a fun little paradox for you. 

Harry felt a shot of hope hit his chest as he found a secret compartment in Albus’s trunk, only for his guilt to return full force when all he found inside was a scrapbook filled with both the standard photographs of Albus and Scorpius together, and -- rather artistic, Harry had to admit -- photographs of Albus, clearly taken by Scorpius himself. 

There was a note hidden between the last page and the cover that read in elegant script,  _ For the best, Best Friend in the universe. Happy Birthday, Albus! _

Harry closed the book quickly. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt almost scared of it. Maybe because it illuminated a narrative he’d been determined not to hear. And now, because of his own ignorance, they were stuck here in this mess. 

“Find anything useful?” asked Draco, leaning against Scorpius’s bed post with an eyebrow raised, jolting Harry out of his thoughts. He’d almost forgotten the git was even there. 

“Not for the investigation, no.” Harry replied, regretfully. He held up the scrapbook, the cover of which featured a picture of the boys trying to hold a serious pose and then falling over each other laughing a moment later. Watching Albus grab the sleeve of Scorpius’s robe to stop himself from falling over was just making Harry sad, so he had to look away. 

Draco merely glanced at the book and looked away as well, nodding. Then he almost smiled nostalgically, and said, “Scorpius spent days working on that thing. I could only get him to leave his room for meals. Of course, he made me approve it before it was officially finished.” 

It was like a punch to the gut to hear that Scorpius and Draco got along so well. Harry couldn’t even imagine what it would be  _ like  _ to have Albus allow him into his life like that. “Right now is the first I’m seeing of it.” he admitted without really knowing why he did. 

“Albus never showed it to you? Scorpius said he loved it.” Draco sounded genuinely incredulous. 

“Clearly not, Malfoy.” Harry snapped, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Now was not the time to lose his temper. 

When he opened his eyes back up, Draco was giving him a knowing look, but clearly decided to drop it for now, because he said, “We should keep looking.”

Harry was grateful for the space. He took only a moment, then reloaded Albus’s stuff into the trunk, moving on to his dresser. 

In the first few drawers, Harry found nothing out of the usual. Mostly clothes, robes, and a drawer filled haphazardly with parchment, quills, and ink that reminded Harry of his own organizational strategies, or lack thereof. 

The bottom drawer, however, was locked. Interesting. Harry tried  _ Alohomora _ . The drawer was still locked. Even more interesting. Perhaps the boys had stored information pertaining to their Cedric Diggory related schemes in this drawer. Harry ran through several more advanced unlocking charms, but curiously enough, none of them worked. 

Harry gave one last yank on the drawer handle in frustration, and ran a hand through his hair. Throughout the course of all this, he had attracted Draco’s attention, who was pondering the drawer as one would a difficult puzzle. “I didn’t see a key anywhere in Albus’s trunk. Maybe they have it with them.” 

Draco shook his head. “I’ve got an idea. Earlier, I found... “ He went over to Scorpius’s dresser and opened the bottom drawer. He moved a pile of black robes with the Malfoy crest carefully onto Scorpius’s bed and then, with a triumphant smile, fished a gleaming golden key from the corner of the drawer. 

Harry made a noise characteristic of the reluctantly impressed, and plucked the key from Draco’s outstretched palm. He tried it and sure enough… 

Inside the drawer was only one rolled up sheet of parchment. Harry reached toward it, but then stopped suddenly, sensing protective enchantments. Harry quickly dismantled them -- they may have been effective for deterring other fourteen year old boys, but not the Head of Magical Law Enforcement -- and exchanged a concerned glance with Draco: what could possibly require this level of protection? 

Harry grabbed the parchment, took a deep breath, and unrolled it. Then he found himself staring in confusion at the contents of the parchment which were absolutely nothing like he expected. The title read: 

How To Avoid Bullies: A List

By Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter

Draco growled in frustration, making fists but refraining from hitting anything, “Of course it’s just the bloody list, how could I have forgotten?” he asked resentfully, all hopes of some sort of clue dashed in a second. 

“What do you mean ‘it’s the list’?” Harry asked, clueless and a bit shocked by Draco’s behavior. 

“The  _ List,  _ Potter. Their sacred covenant, or whatever.” Draco said with some elegant wrist movement meant to indicate jest. 

“Their  _ what?”  _ Harry asked, alarmed. 

Draco froze in his pacing. “Wait, you mean you’ve never seen this one either?” 

“You  _ have _ ?” 

Draco scoffed, “Clearly, Potter. I’ve even contributed to it, read number 5.” 

Sure enough, Draco was cited quite clearly in number 5. 

When Harry didn’t speak, Draco continued, “Scorpius added mine during the summer after their first year. He’s got a magical copy at home where if you write anything on one copy it also appears on the other. They treat this list like friendship law. Scorpius says it’s the only way they’ve survived.” 

Harry was gobsmacked. “You mean to say you’ve known how the other kids have been treating them since first year?” 

“It wasn’t too difficult to figure out. Clearly something was wrong, and I easily guessed what it was, given Scorpius’s reputation.” Draco answered, resentfully. 

“I knew something was wrong!” Harry defended, “I just…” 

“Didn’t know what it was? Unobservant as ever.” 

Harry ignored him, scanning the list, becoming more and more confused and shocked as each entry became darker than the last, until he came to the last words, just sitting there in black ink like a knife to the heart, scrawled in Albus’s messy handwriting, 

_ It’s a promise: only trust each other. _

Only trust each other. Don’t trust anyone else. Not their parents, siblings, housemates. No one. Harry remembered feeling that way, once. He’d promised himself to never allow his children to feel so helpless, but he had failed. Albus did feel that way. Like the entire world was against him, all except one person. “I don’t understand… I -- I had no idea.” 

Draco looked away, giving him a moment to get ahold of himself, and replied, “And that’s the reason we’re in this bloody mess. Now you know.” 

“Do you…” Harry began. 

“Yes, Potter?” 

“Do you know the stories behind each of these?” 

Draco scoffed again. “As it happens, I do. Once Scorpius starts talking, it’s impossible to get him to stop.” There was fondness in his voice as he talked about his only son. 

“Could you…” 

“Tell you?” Draco finished, clearly too impatient to wait for Harry to find the words himself. “I could. But it’ll take quite a while, and really Albus should have the chance to tell you himself.” 

Harry shook his head, “Even if he was here, he wouldn’t… and besides we have a while before Ginny and McGonagall get back from searching the grounds. And who are we kidding? We’re not going to find anything in here.” He gestured to the room with disdain. 

Draco considered him for a moment. “Alright then.” he said, finally, “I guess we’d better start with the beginning, hadn’t we?” 

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued...  
> Kudos and Comments make my day! <3


End file.
